Quinceanera Dresses

The tradition of Quinceanera is one of the most important celebration in the Mexican culture.   In Mexico and other countries in Latin America, it is customary to celebrate a girl’s fifteenth birthday party with full pomp and glory.

Now what is Quinceanera?  It is a combination of the Spanish words quince “fifteen” and anos ‘years’.  It is one of the most meaningful event that happens to any fifteen year old Mexican or Latin American girl.   This celebration traditionally marks a girl’s coming of age, that she’s mature and ready for marriage and also to give thanks to God for all his blessings.    It is also an honour to the girl’s parents and her godparents who’ll play an important role throughout the ceremonies.

The celebration normally begins with a thanksgiving mass in church, to give thanks for a completed childhood.    The godparents will bestow the birthday girl with lavish gifts and jewellery  which will accentuate her beautiful dress.    The Quinceanera dress  will be a full length ball gown in pastel or bold colours of her choice.  

Around the birthday girl will be 14 male and female attendants and escorts, called damas and chambelanes to represent the previous 14 year of life.

The Quinceanera dress is the birthday girl’s first formal adult attire and even though it’s worn for only a day, a good choice of a comfortable dress is crucial.  A dress that will look good on her, with matching colours to her skin and which will flatter her body.   Pink is the traditional colour of a Quinceanera dress but fashion has evolved and the colours now worn are more bold and extravagant.  So for those who are planning for an elaborate ‘Fifteenth Year’  or a ‘Sweet Sixteen’ birthday bash, do hop over to  Sweetquinceaneradress for your dream dress.

                                                          

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Vanilla Cupcakes with Choc Glaze

These cupcakes were baked in a muffin pan but devoid of  paper liners as the chocolate glaze would drip down the the sides of the cakes.  If you use a paper liner, the chocolate glaze will drip onto the liner  and will look a bit messy.  I suppose these cuppies with the choco glaze and coloured sprinkles will be a hit with the kids during this festive season!

Recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes with Choco Glaze  香草杯子蛋糕

Ingredients


• 195 gm plain flour
• 1.1/2 tsp baking powder
• 113 gm unsalted butter
• 1/4 tsp salt (omit if using salted butter)
• 130 gm caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1.1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
Chocolate Glaze
• 120 gm /4 oz cooking chocolate
• 42 gm butter
• 1.1/2 Tbsp golden syrup 


Method 
1. Melt all the above ingredients in a big bowl  over a pot of simmering water.  Mix well, remove from heat and let it thicken for about 10 mins.  Pour the mixture into a measuring cup.


Method for the cupcakes
1. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt  OR just whisk these in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Beat butter, then add in the sugar and beat till light and creamy.
3. Add in eggs one at a time, mix well.  If the mixture curdles, it doesn't matter for the mixture will smoothen out once the dry ingredients are added in.
4. Fold in the flour alternatively with the milk, starting with flour and ending with flour.
5. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the batter into the lightly greased muffin pan.
6. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 15 to 16 mins. till a skewer inserted comes out clean.
7. Leave the cakes to cool in the pan for 10 mins. before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Pour the melted chocolate over the cupcakes, sprinkle on some coloured sprinkles as desired.
9. Yield :  12 cupcakes

This will be my last post for 2014.  I'll be taking a short break from blogging and will return in January 2015.  Also would like to take this opportunity to wish

All my Readers and Friends, A Very Merry X'mas 
and 
All the best for 2015!

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate (Christmas 2014)

organised by Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

Best Recipes For Everyone #5 Dec.'14

~ My Little Cupcakes ~

hosted by Fion from Xuan Hom Mum Kitchen Dairy

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Lace Wedding Dresses

Lace Wedding Dresses

Lace Wedding Dresses  seem to become trendy again as nowadays women  tend to view lace as a feature of a ladylike wedding dress and more and more brides-to-be are considering lace dresses over others as their bridal gowns.  Some ladies who are keen in passing on their gowns to their daughters someday are now interested in purchasing wedding dresses with lace.  Lace adds sophistication to a wedding dress whether  the lace only appears on the collar, the upper part of the dress, on the sleeves or as an overlay over  the whole gown.

Although there are many types of styles for  Lace Wedding Dresses due  consideration must be given when deciding on a lacy wedding dress and how much lace the dress should have.  Heavy lace is perfect for fall and winter weddings and not for the summer.

If you have a slender neck, a high collar heart shape lace mermaid wedding dress will bring out the elegance in you.  The lace be it sheer and lies over another bodice should be modest and to give it a ladylike look, it should not expose any cleavage.  Not so busty brides may opt for a V-cut neckline but this won’t work for a lady with a large bust measurement.   To make their shoulders broader, women should also go for a wide neckline.  A high neckline will also help to enhance your height if you would like to appear taller and more  elegant. 

Sleeves on a lace wedding dress will make the dress ladylike.  They can  be cap sleeves, short sleeves, three quarter or even full length to make the dress look modest.  If a bride-to-be has big upper arms, three quarter length sleeves will make her arms slim and slender.  However, three quarter length sleeves may not look nice on a lady with a small frame, instead she may opt for cap sleeves or even sleeveless.   To appear taller a lady can also choose to have a dress with long sleeves.

Lace, a feminine and timeless fabric looks fashionable in many ways and has become a favourite amongst wedding dress designers.   You can view lots of wedding dresses on- line and some are generally made-to-order items.  When choosing a lace wedding dress, brides must decide whether they prefer their gowns to have many layers of lace or a dress that has a bodice made of satin or other material but paired with a sheer lace overlay.   Since lace wedding dresses tend to fit a  bride’s frame closely, it is of utmost importance to use the manufacturer’s measurement guidelines which may vary from one designer to another while placing an order on-line.  For a choice of on-line wedding dresses visit   DresseStylist !

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Braised Fish Fillet with Black Beans 豆豉焖鱼

This is quite a common dish in households and my mum used to whip this up whenever we had plain white porridge for lunch.   I'm not so keen on the fish, but will make a beeline for the  beancurd sticks and puffs instead!

Recipe for Braised Fish Fillet with Black Beans   豆豉焖鱼

Ingredients

• 2 pieces of fish fillet about 125 gm each, seasoned with some salt
• 6 beancurd puffs cut into half
• 50 gm beancurd sticks, soaked and cut into 2 inch lengths
• 4 pips of garlic, chopped
• 1 small piece of ginger, chopped
• 1 Tbsp black bean 
• 1 tsp sugar or to taste
• 1 tsp cornflour + 2 tsp water to thicken
• 2.1/2 cups water
• 1/4 tsp dark soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp oil for frying

Method

1. Heat up some oil in a wok, fry the chopped garlic and ginger till fragrant, toss in the black beans, stir-fry.
2. Add in water, let it simmer, add in the beancurd sticks and puffs, continue to simmer.
3. Add in the fish fillet, simmer till cooked.   Fine tune to taste and add in the cornflour thickening.
4. Dish out and serve.
5. Sprinkle on some chilli slices and spring onions if desired.

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Beach Wedding Dresses

Beach Wedding Dresses

Destination weddings have become one of the hottest trends now and a destination  wedding means to have a wedding reception, casual or formal in a place more than 100 miles away from where the couple lives.  Nowadays many brides-to-be are getting bored with traditional church weddings and now opt for something unique and more memorable. 

Many young couples are now quite keen to book their nuptials at a resort or beach and plan to have a more intimate wedding with their close buddies and family members between the two.  What about a beach wedding with a romantic boat ceremony?   That sounds wonderful!

But there are also a few fine points to consider while planning for a beach wedding.   Will the family members be ready and can afford to take time off to join you on your journey to matrimony in a place far from where they are living?   Also the clothes to bring along if you plan to have a wedding by the beach.   Loosely fitted clothes will be the option and also you must take into account the climate of the venue.    For the brides-to-be, they must also bear in mind the blowing breeze from the sea and what sort of hair-do will compliment their wedding dress style.    If you have long hair, you may want to consider a braid and some complimentray accessories to hold your hair elegantly away from your face  especially while pictures are being taken or perhaps tie your hair into a  neat bun or even consider a Bohemian hair style.

High heels are not recommended when you walk on the beach, instead you can put on your sexy beady sandals and also do a bridal pedicure a day or two before the Big day.   Your guests tend to take notice of your feet if you wear open-toed shoes so put your best foot forward!

Now, what about the  Beach Wedding Dresses?   Cool, light fabrics such as organza and chiffon will allow air to blow through your body and keep you cool and comfortable in your dress for many hours in the sun.  If you have slender legs, now is the opportunity to show them off, so go for short wedding dresses.   A point to remember is to stay away from synthetic fabrics and look for strapless dresses, halter style, one shoulder, capped sleeves, low neck line, yet simple and elegant.   Take a look at DresseStylist   for a variety of wedding dresses!

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Panettone French Toast 法国土司面包

There are many ways that you can enjoy with leftover Panettone.   You can use some slices to make a  bread pudding, a rum cake or a trifle but I took the easy way out and made them into French toast.    They were  very fragrant when they were being heated up in the pan, thanks to the cinnamon.  But I reckon that the  easiest and quickest way is to just simply toast them which I did with some.

Recipe for Panettone French Toast      法国土司面包                    

Ingredients


• 3 slices of Panettone
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• Oil or butter  (I used vege oil)
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Fresh fruits, honey or maple syrup for serving
Method
1. Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a dish.
2. Soak the slices of Panettone in the above mixture for about 10 mins., pressing down the slices to ensure that they are thoroughly soaked through.
3. Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and fry the egg soaked slices till golden brown on each side.
4. Dish out and drain on a paper kitchen towel.
5. Dust with icing sugar.
6. Serve with some fresh fruits, honey or maple syrup.









 This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate (Christmas 2014)
organised by 
Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and
Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

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Panettone (Italian X'mas Bread) 节日糕点

Panettone, a traditional Italian Christmas bread is suitable for breakfast, tea or as a dessert.  This recipe reminds me of  Kugelhopf, a southern German, Austrian and Swiss term for bundt  or marble cake which also consists of a soft yeast dough with raisins and nuts.   Making a Panettone is a long, long process as it takes many hours of proving in a warm place and after all my efforts, I was a bit disappointed that my Panettone didn't rise to a dome shape, instead it was a bit flat.  But the consolation was that it tasted soft and fluffy, when served warm.  As I couldn't find any Panettone paper moulds, I used an 8 inch springform cake pan and lined it with parchment paper with higher sides to give more room for the Panettone to rise.

Combine warm water and warm milk, sprinkle yeast over and let sit for 5 mins, or more.
Add 4 Tablespoons flour and 1 Tablespoon sugar to the yeast mixture, combine till thick, cover with clingwrap and let it sit till it turned bubbly and doubled in size, about 30 mins.

Using a ball whisk, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon and orange zest till well combined.
Add in the yeast mixture and whisk till well incorporated.
Using the dough hook of a stand mixer, put on low, add sifted flour and salt, then turn to medium speed and let it mix for about 5 mins.

Add room temperature cubed butter and mix till well incorporated.
After about 5 mins. add the raisins and citron peel, mix for abount 5 mins.
Transfer sticky dough onto a floured surface.

Add more flour if sticky dough is hard to handle, just lightly knead till it comes together.
Put the dough into a greased container and brush more oil on the surface to prevent a crust from formng.   Cover with clingwrap and let it prove in a warm place for about 2 to 3 hours or till tripled in size.
Once the dough has risen (a lot of bubbles at the base), dump it onto a floured surface.

Just pull the dough together, and place it into the parchment lined 8 inch cake pan.
Use a knife to make an 'X' on the dough and sprinkle on some butter or melted butter, cover with cling wrap and let it prove till  tripled in size.  About 2 to 3 hours.
After the dough has risen, apply egg wash and bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for  30 to 35 mins. till golden brown and test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
Let it cool in the pan before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool.
Best to serve warm.

Recipe for Panettone 节日糕点     (adapted from 'here')

Ingredients

• 375 gm plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup warm milk
• 7 gm/1/4 oz dried yeast
• 70 gm unsalted butter
• 100 gm sugar
• Zest from 1 orange and 1 lemon
• 1 tsp salt (reduce if using salted butter)
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup dark raisins
• 1/4 cup mixed peel

Method  (Please refer to the steps in the above pictures)

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate (Christmas 2014)

organised by 

Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and

Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

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Vintage Wedding Dresses

Vintage Wedding Dresses

Many of you must have heard of and seen Vintage or antique cars.   They are a collector’s items and many vintage car lovers consider this as an investment with the hope that the value will increase over time. 

Then what about Vintage dresses and more so Vintage Wedding Dresses?  We ladies were having tea one day and a daughter of one of the ladies among us is going to get married in 2015.   The mother lamented that it’s very stressful to shop for designer wedding dresses and her daughter is frantically searching for her dream dress.  Rather then getting a dress off the rack, why not go for a  Vintage Wedding Dress,  I suggested.  It’s actually a personal preference really  whether you want to get a modern wedding dress or something that belongs to the times of your grandma for your Big day.

The word ‘Vintage’ is used to describe clothings between 20 to 100 years old.   They can be used, handmade or newly manufactured according to the designs of days of yore.   Nowadays modern brides are looking to vintage designs for inspiration and some vintage designs can be very feminine and glamorous.    Wearing a vintage wedding dress can transform a bride to true Hollywood icons!

Sometimes if you buy a used Vintage Wedding Dress, you’ll need to bear in mind that the dress being old with age may come with brown stains on the lace and part of the bodice which may be  silk or satin.  How to go about getting rid of these age old stains can be a crucial factor  and if you have no idea  how to go about cleaning it, the dress may shrink upon contact with water.

Look no further if you are keen to purchase a vintage wedding dress.  There’s a huge selection here at

DresseStylist and they are now at affordable and fantastic prices which will suit your budget perfectly.  Why pay more to your retailer when you can buy on-line and save much more?

There’s a wide range of vintage wedding dresses like :-

this sweep train ball gown sweetheart tulle satin beading wedding dress

court train A-line off the shoulder tulle satin beading wedding dress

ankle length trumpet mermaid sweetheart taffeta ruffle wedding dress

chapel train A-line straps sating embroidery wedding dress

floor-length A-line straps tulle satin beading wedding dress

You can also recommend this website to your friends who are going to tie the knot in 2015 and what’s more important than to look your best on your wedding day!

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Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies 燕麦蔓月梅曲奇

These oatmeal cranberry cookies are quick and easy to prepare and they can be a hit with both the kids and adults.  Rolled oats are used in these cookies and the ingredients are easy to put together.  You can bake them in a shorter time if you prefer them to be soft and chewy in the centre or if you prefer crispy cookies, just bake them a little longer.  You can also make this as a gift for X'mas and the batter can be prepared, keep refrigerated and the cookies baked the next day.

Recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies (adapted from 'here' with slight modification)

Ingredients

• 226 gm butter
• 195 gm plain flour
• 100 gm soft brown sugar
• 30 gm caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt (reduce or omit if you're using salted butter)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 260 gm rolled oats
• 100 gm cranberries
• 40 gm choc chips
Method
1. Sift flour with bicarbonate of soda and salt, set aside.
2. Beat butter, add the brown sugar and caster sugar, beat till well combined.  Add in the eggs.
3. Fold in sifted flour into the batter, mix well.
4. Add in the rolled oats, mix well.
5. Scoop the batter with an ice cream scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place cookies 2 inches apart, flatten slightly with your fingers.
6. Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for about 15 to 20 mins.
7. Yield :  20 large cookies

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Siew Bao (Baked BBQ Buns) 燒包

Siew Bao is among the many items that I'll order whenever I have dim sum in the restaurant but not all dim sum joints serve this pastry.  I chanced upon a post by My Kitchen Snippets for this favourite pastry and decided to give it a try.   The Siew Bao turned out great and I had Gertrude to thank for!   They were indeed yummy more so if teamed with a hot cup of Chinese tea.

Recipe for Siew Bao (Baked BBQ Buns)   

Ingredients for Oil Dough

• 240 gm plain flour
• 120 gm shortening
Water Dough
• 240 gm plain flour
• 60 gm icing sugar
• 60 gm shortening
• 90 to 120 ml water
Egg Glaze - 1 egg + 1/2 tsp honey
Sesame seeds


Filling

• 400 gm chicken or pork, diced.
• 1 big onion, diced
• 3/4 cup green peas
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp dark soya sauce
• 2 tsp light soya sauce
• 1/2 tsp seasalt
• 2 tsp sugar or to taste
• A dash of pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp cornflour + 2 tsp water to thicken
Method for the Filling (best prepared overnight and keep refrigerated)
1. Marinate the meat with the sauces, seasalt, pepper and sugar for about half an hour.
2. Heat up some oil in a wok, stir-fry the diced onion till fragrant, toss in the marinated meat, stir-fry.
3. Add in the water and green peas.  Test for taste and mix in the cornflour thickening.
4. Dish out and let cool.
Method for Oil dough


1. Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough.  Cover with clingwrap and let rest for 30 mins.
2. Divide dough into 15 pieces, about 22 gm each.
Method for Water dough
1. Mix all the ingredients into a soft dough.  (Add water sparingly, not all may be needed).  Cover with clingwrap and let rest for 30 mins.
2. Divide dough into 15 pieces, about 30 gm each.
Rolling out and Assembling the Bao
1. Wrap up the piece of oil dough with a flattened piece of water dough.
2. Roll out the dough and roll up like a swiss roll.  Give the roll a 90 deg. turn and roll up again.
3. Press the rolled up dough lightly and roll into a circle.  Spoon the filling in the centre and pleat up like a bao.   Place each bao on a grease proof paper.
4. Apply egg wash and sprinkle on some sesame seeds.
5. Bake them in a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 25 to 30 mins. till golden brown.
6. Remove from oven, let cool on a wire rack before serving.
7. Yield :  15 Siew Bao

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